Adjustable wheel-anchor



E.-S. sums. ADJUSTABLE WHEEL ANCHOR. APPLICATION HL ED MAR; 10- 1921.

1,396,076. Patented Nov. 8, 1921.

'awha m dotted lines. F ig. 2 is a a detail" of the cam locking 1 and on an enlarged scale.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ELZA S. STOTTS, OF DES MOINES, IOWA, ASS IGNOR TO THE RAILWAY SIGNAL & EQUIP- MENT COMPANY, OF DES MIOINES, IOWA,

A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

ADJUSTABLE WHEEL-ANCHOR.

Application filed March 10, 1921.

car from the journal.

A further object-of this invention is to provide awheel anchor having a vertically adjustable holding head so that a single device may be used under all circumstances, whether or not the wheel rests directly above a tie.

A further object of this invention is to provide improved means for locking the holding head in adjusted position.

With these and other objects in view, my invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of elements hereinafter set forth, pointed out in my claims and illustrated by the accompanying drawing, in which c Figure l is a side elevation illustrating the device in position for practical use, a track rail and' car wheel thereon being shown in plan, partly in section on theline 2.-2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is devices detached In the construction of the device as shown the numeral 10 designates a horizontal base member formed at one end with an upwardly extending integral arm 11.; and

strengthening flanges 12 preferably connect side margins of said arms to the base. The base 10 preferably is formed with a transverse hand hole 13 at its opposite end, by means of which the device may be conveniently carried. The arm 11 is formed with ratchet teeth 13 on its forward or outer face, arranged transversely and preferably extending in series from the bottom to the top of said arm. A holding head 15 is separately formed and is provided on its rear or inner face with ratchet teeth 16 adapted to coact and contact with the teeth 14;, so that theholding head may be vertically adjusted on the arm 11. The holding head 15 is formed with an outwardly. extending lip or hook 17 at its upper end adapted to Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 8, 1921. Serial No. 451,297.

engage the flangeof a car wheel such as 18 resting on a track rail'19. To look the holding head 15 securely in adjusted position on the arm 11 I have shown eccentric latching devices. The arm 11 and straight portion of the head are formed with longitudinal slots 20, 21 respectively, adapted to be wholly or part in register when the parts are assembled. A stem 22 is passed through the slots 20, 21 and is formed at one end with a head 23 contacting the forward face of the holding head 15. The holding head 15 preferably isv channeled or grooved on its outer face, adjacent the slot 21, to provide a seat for the head 23 of the stem, so that said head does not project beyond the plane of the outer margin of said holding head. Fixed to the opposite end of the stem 22, by means of a pin 24, is a cam disk 25, slightly spaced from the rear face of the arm 11 and having its face nearest to said arm formed with a succession of alternate depressions and extensions, thus producing a multiple cam surface of undulating form. Loosely mounted on the stem 22 between the cam disk 25 and arm 11 is a coacting cam disk 26'having a smooth forward face in plane contact with the rear face of said arm 11 and an outer face corresponding and adapted to fit snugly against the cam face of the said disk 25. The disk 26 is adapted for rotary movement on the stem 22 and is formed with an integral, laterally extending handle or lever 27, preferably terminating in a ball 28 adapted to be grasped manually. The handle or lever 27 is bent, curved or offset rearwardly between its ends so that the ball 28 is spaced rearwardly from the plane of the arm 11 a considerable distance, and free movement of the handle is permitted.

In practical use the device is employed in a common and well known manner to anchor a car wheel to the rail while raising the bearings from the journal. For this operation the lip 17 is placed in engagement with the rim of the car wheel as indicated in Fig. 1, while a lifting jack (not shown) is placed on the base 10 and employed to raise the journal boX and devices connected therewith. The holding head 15 is vertically adjustable on the arm 11 so that the one device ma be used under all ordinary circumstances. or instance, if the car wheel happens to stop directly over a cross-tie, the base 10 may be placed on the tie and the device be employed with the holding head raised to elevated position to hold the wheel on the track. In the event the wheel stops between two ties, it is necessary to provide a support for the base 10, bridging the space between the ties, in; which case it is necessary to shorten the height of the holding arm a distance approximately equal to the height of the support so employed. In this case the holding head is loosened relative to the arm 11 by turning the handle 27 through an arc to rotate the cam disk 26 to such extent that its cam extensions ing depressions of the cam disk 25. This po- 7 sition permits suflicient longitudinal movement of the stem forcing the holding 1 and'Z, when the "position.

'- 1. An adjustable wheel anchor,

formed with means "said head and arm 22 to allow the teeth 16 of the holding head 15 to clear the teeth 14 of the arm 11, so that the holding head maybe adjusted relative to said arm. Nhen the desired adjustment has been made the handle 27 is turned in the opposite direction to cause the extensions of the movable disk 26 to ride on the extensions of the rigid disk 25, thus applying pulling strain on the stem 22 and head 15 toward and in binding contact with the arm 11. The wedging action of the interengaging cam faces may be enhanced by pounding downwardly {with the hand or a tool on the outer end of mounted on said stem between said arm and the last named head, said cam disk having'a smooth face in contact with said arm and a wedge face adapted to contact with the last named head, together with a lever formed hugs and provided engaglng the outer fit within the correspondfor engaging a car wheel,

spaced from said arm, and a cam disk loosely on said cam disk and adapted for use in manually turning the same.

2. An adjustable wheel anchor, comprising a base, an arm formed thereoina holding .head adapted to be mounted on and adjusted vertically of i said arm, said head being formed with means for engaging a carwheel, said head and arm being formed with registering openings, said head and arm also being formed with serrated contacting faces, a stem passing through the registering. openat one end with-means for face of said holding head, said stem being formed at its other end with a head spaced from saidarm,andwedging means pivotally mounted on said fstem between said head and arm.

An adjustable wheel anchor, comprising a base, an arm formed thereon, a holding head adapted to be mounted on and adjusted vertically of said arm, said head being formed with means for engaging a car wheel, said head and arm being formed with registering openings, a stem passing through said registering openings and provided at one end with means for engaging the outer face of said holding head, said stem being formed at its opposite end with a head spaced from said arm, a member pivoted on said stem between said head and arm, said member and.

head being formed with c'oa'cting. wedge faces, and means for manually turning said member. I

at. An adjustable wheel anchor, comprising a base, an arm formed'thereon, a holding head adapted to be mounted in contact with and adjustable vertically relative to said arm, said arm andholding head being formed with serrated co-ntactin'g faces and with registering slots, a stem passingthroughsaid registering slots, endjcoun'tersunk in a groove in said holding head, a head on the otherend ofsa'id stem spaced from said arm, and wedging means on said stem betweenisaid arm and the last named head. l i

and formed with; a head at one Signed at Des Moines, in the county, of

Polk and State of Iowa,- this 22d day of January, 1921. V

' E LZ A s. sToT'rs. 

